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Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...
Ranking in Rack Servers
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Density Optimized Servers (3rd)
IBM Power Systems
Ranking in Rack Servers
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
2.5
Number of Reviews
70
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 4.8%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.1%, up from 8.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rack Servers
 

Featured Reviews

Kalpesh Savaliya - PeerSpot reviewer
Good support, and this product well-suited to our size of environment
We use these rack servers for terminal operating systems The initial setup could be easier. I have been working with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers for five years. This is a stable product. For our use case, this product is scalable up to 16 blades, including two sites. I don't know how well…
Rohintan-Karanjia - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers security features, including HIPs, Postgres, intrusion prevention systems, and AI for specific tasks
We've found that sometimes, certain setups require better servers. Ideally, the next level of model that IBM offers would be perfect for those situations. Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge for some software. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow. So deployment is an area for improvement.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The hardware customization capabilities are great."
"On the Cisco side, there is a benefit in terms of server management. Cisco provides UCS Manager, which is a multi-tenant site manager. We can manage multiple sites while maintaining disaster recovery, a feature not available on other platforms."
"We have many people in my organization using Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in the administration."
"The most valuable features of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are integration and customization."
"The server can be configured easily."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is server management."
"Excellent server solution with incredible network throughput."
"Its hardware is really reliable. We also like Cisco for its support."
"Some of the most valuable features are the processing power, stability, and security."
"What we like the most is the ability to upgrade the scaling of the system itself. Whenever we need extra storage, we can do that. Whenever we need extra memory, we can do that as well. It's fast and it's available."
"It scales a lot, you can just keep on adding frames, you can add on CPUs, you get capacity on demand, you can tune the machine very easily to handle different workloads."
"We've been using it for a long time, and it's stable."
"The initial setup is simple and straightforward."
"The main feature that I have found most valuable is PowerVM - its virtualization feature which is the most powerful."
"We value the stability and technology capability of this solution the most. It is very stable, and the processor technology of IBM is very good. When you have a CIO and you are dealing with C-level every day, you can, without any doubt, support the core banking or critical applications with this solution."
"BM Power Systems get updated every two years and are scalable and stable."
 

Cons

"Some customers have complained about delivery time. So, the main weakness is the lead time."
"The warranty and support periods should be extended."
"The C-Series is not designed to be as scalable. They are designed to have enough RAM and enough CPU on their own side. If you want scalability, it's better to choose the B-Series— the Blade Servers — because those are much more scalable with Fabric Interconnect."
"The pricing is too high and no discounts are available for our country."
"The scalability of the product is an area of concern where Cisco needs to focus on making some improvements."
"I think the pricing is high. Cisco has to look for bundling this solutions with other applications."
"The initial setup could be easier."
"Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers could improve integration with third-party solutions."
"IBM Power Systems could improve by having a cloud feature."
"It would be ideal if the solution was more simple to work with."
"I think IBM needs a little more work on managing the overall environment with eliminating Systems Director."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"The lack of software vendors moving onto the platform, as opposed to fleeing the platform, is an issue."
"If you asked me what I'd like added, I'd say that it'd be nice if they ran GPUs, however, I know that's not the direction they're going. That said, I would appreciate it if they offered GPU support."
"One of the main challenges with IBM Power Systems is the functionality of live partnership mobility."
"The pricing is high."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution could be more cost-effective."
"The pricing is expensive."
"We have to pay for the VMware and Cisco licenses."
"​Best to buy all the blades configured for the same purposes of load balancing and failover or load shifting.​"
"The price of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is approximately 20 percent more than other solutions."
"This product is quite expensive and it would be better if it were cheaper."
"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."
"The price of the solution could be better when compared to other solutions. However, when we purchased the solution we received Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in a bundle with other hardware, such as IP phones and networking switches."
"The machine is good and has a comparatively good price."
"Power Systems is very cheap and provides good value for money."
"When there is an error in the SAS drive of 10,000 RPM, my company buys support for 1,500 USD."
"The price of the solution depends upon the configuration part of it. Based on what configuration you want to go for it, there is a range like IBM Power Systems POWER9 and IBM Power Systems Power10."
"Its price depends on the sizing."
"The pricing of the solution is very good because we can beat any other competitor with the pricing. Lately, they have offered good pricing for their customer."
"IBM Power is more expensive than other rack-mount servers, and you have to have a license for everything, including cores and memory."
"The pricing is reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?
IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.
What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?
IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems.
What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?
In my company, we use the system for the data center and our IBM Cloud Pak System.
 

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series
IBM OpenPOWER LC
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Aegean Motorway, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Artoni Transporti, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, City of Mississauga, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Kind en Gezin, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Nationwide, Quest, Talbots, University of St. Gallen
Cipher
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. IBM Power Systems and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.